lnnouncing ...

chasing agents' trade papers, has stressed the protection grade marked lumber affords the consumer. The following extracts have been taken from advertising during the past year. "Grade Marked Lumber Makes Satisfied Customers." "fnsure Your Order ! A Grade Mark on lumber, like the A.G.C. sign on the job, tells the whole story you get what you order. When you specify grade marked lumber you get the grade you ask for. We can supply you !" "And psv-'Q1ade and Trade-Marked Lumber.' Believe it or not, the demand for Quality Lumber is ever increasing. Specify officially marked lumber." "Every piece ofificially certified. Same price as mixed grades. 'Grade-Marked' Lumber." "In the old days of merchandising, lumber was delivered onto jobs in mixed grades (and still is, but not by us), i.e., No. I Common containing 25 per cent or more of No. 2, and, No. 2 Common with 40 per cent or more of No. 3 or worse. Now when you order 'Grade-Marked' lumber you get 100 per cent of the grade you pay for. Everv piece is stamped with an official grade mark and certificate number similar to the following:" The West Coast grade stamp for No. 1 Common was reproduced in this advertisment.

Many other methods of promoting grade marked lumber have been undertaken by dealers. One company has erected a sign on a main highway near Los Angeles calling attention to grade marked lumber as a protection to the buyer. The featured portion of this sign is a large illustration of the West Coast grade stamp for No. 1 Common. A pamphlet published by the West Coast L.umbermen's Association entitled "Specify Grade Marked Lumber" has had wide distribution. The Association has mailed this literature to 300 architects in the Los Angeles section and to 800 architects throughout California. Over 15,000 of these pamphlets have been mailed to the trade by dealers in Los Angeles. Direct mail letters have been sent by dealers to architects, building and loan companies, purchasing agents and contractors. Combined with these promotion efforts have been the direct contacts by dealers'salesmen and the similar work carried on by the staff of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

The outlook for the period of the next year promises further increases in the demand for grade marked lumber with the outstanding activity to be cooperation with the building departments of cities and the building and loan associations. In sixty cities throughout California building codes prohibit the use of lolver grades than No. 2 Common for studding and require not less than No. 1 Common for joists and rafters. The problem of determining the grade of lumber has handicapped building inspectors in enforcing this section of their codes. Grade marked lumber has (Continued on Page 70.)